


what is this

by luciole_etoile



Series: headcanons [2]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Character Sheet, Gen, and also analytics, lots of character look ins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-27
Updated: 2017-05-27
Packaged: 2018-11-05 16:46:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11017449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luciole_etoile/pseuds/luciole_etoile
Summary: i decide to go over his head.





	1. the sheet part

  1. **D. Gaster/Wilhelm Damien Gaster**



**Character Name** : W. D./Wing Dings/Wilhelm Damien Gaster 

**Player Username/Alias** :  N/A, occasionally called ‘paps’ or just the character they are roleplaying-- i’ve apparently also gotten the luck of being called ‘boss/chief’ for some reason, now

**Race** : Monster - Skeleton(?) (i don’t have an exact headcanon,, it’s hard to explain)   
**Town of Birth** : Unknown, born during the war

**Description** : Gaster is the average height for a human male. He has a crack beginning from the top of his left eye socket and it travels to the back of his head. Another one splits from the bottom of his right eye and travels downwards, to the corner of his mouth. Usually, you will see him smiling. It is said to be intimidating. There are also large holes in his hands-- right on the palms. He often will wear cream colored, dark, or white sweaters that are worn and fuzzy. They are very thick and often have turtlenecks for him to hide in. He has a lab coat in his classroom and laboratory, but you’ll never see him wearing it on campus unless it is for a science experiment.

He likes to be comfortable, so he’ll wear either black slacks, sweatpants, or jeans. Surprisingly enough, he has no regard for his image, save for a bit of a business casual inclination of attire when it comes to being around other teachers. He can dress nice however, as seen by the time when he once wore a collared white button-up to school, tucked into his slacks, while he fiddled with a red tie and an overcoat that went to his knees. It had been winter, so he dressed warmly. Underneath his overcoat was a sweater vest, though, so who knows what other fancy pieces of clothing he owns.

➔ **Age** : Huh?  
➔ **Height** : 5’5”  
➔ **Weight/Body Type** : Tall and Slim-- He has a somewhat feminine build, and is very flexible. Rumor has it he knows how to dance like a ballerina and has had professionals teach him as a child. No one knows. He’s too… No one really believes that this man would ever be able to dance.  
➔ **Personality** : Gaster is normally very strict and calm, though he is well-mannered and makes an effort not to come off as cold. He will speak in a very sophisticated manner. On occasion, when he is suitably happy and has had enough coffee to last a human a week, he will crack jokes and be humorous, though he always laughs when someone decides to make a bad pun. Despite what some may think, the only reason why he always has the same smile on his face is because he’s too lazy to actually express emotions. He’s also very excitable around new subjects or things he likes-- an example being the subject he teaches.  
➔ **Magic** :  Purple Magic; will range in shade and intensity going from lavender to dark purple.  
  
 **Teacher or Student** : Teacher  
 **Teaches** : SOUL Studies II

**Skillset/Specializes in** : Magic, Science, SOUL Studies, Magical Combat/Offense/Defense, Strategies and Tactics, Ethics/Psychology, Medical Science, Health, Technology, Computer Science

 

**Human Description** : Same height as monster form--more hair now, I guess.

His hair is slicked back and put into a tiny ponytail at the nape of his neck. It’s very curly, though on good days will remain wavy, and sometimes looks black rather than dark brown. He’s slightly tanned, if only by birth, because of the time he spends inside of his lab. He hates to explore the outside world for anything other than science.

He can be seen walking around in a cream turtleneck and a pair of black slacks. He likes to wear socks, but doesn’t move around a lot, so he doesn’t bother putting on shoes when he walks out into the hallway. He takes care to avoid dirt and uses magic to keep his socks from getting dirty. It’s a bit silly, but sometimes he’ll bring slippers too, just so he can walk outside of the school and on the paths. They’re very simple and flat, white and soft. The soles are brown.

_ There’s also cute cat faces sewn onto them. They’re very obvious. _

Gaster also wears a pair of large, circular-framed glasses. They’re made of plastic (though they look like they’re wire) and they’re treasured deeply by him, despite being a blinding shade of gold. They’re very nice, and most likely handmade by someone he deeply trusts. Despite this, though, he has to push them up his nose a lot. They tend to slide and sometimes fall off his face. 

 


	2. w.d. gaster: the analytics

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i decide to go over his head.

**Some extra psychology/personality stuff + Backstory and Headcanon Information**

Okay, so this’ll be reviewing my headcanons of Gaster dearest as well.

* * *

**Backstory**

Gaster had had two sons-- Sans and Papyrus. You know this story, right? Well guess what; I’ll explain it to you again.

Gaster has a few kids with a lady monster. So far, from what I’ve revealed? She’s a plant-based monster and had a bunch-o-flowers on her/an obsession with them. This may be because they lived in New Home/The Capital, or Snowdin, where there wasn’t much plant life, aside from those tall, dark, and intimidating trees you see at the intersect between the Ruins and Snowdin Forest.

After something happened to Lady Monster, Gaster was made to forget about her image and stuff. He didn’t necessarily forget about all their fond happy times or whatever, but he doesn’t remember a few things and ever since he’s gotten his butt parked in a laboratory, he’s been remembering a few things one by one, through a few objects and through dreams. It’s hella surreal and screws him up real bad, so he has to take medication to make the pain stop messing with him. The pain appears after he unlocks a memory-- it’s like a migraine, a headache that unleashes the heat of the underworld (not the Underground,) and the pelting snow of a blizzard.

He goes through a brief weakness once the period of pain has passed over, and is forced to go through the memory time and time again through dreams. Sometimes the memories are A-okay, but sometimes they’ll be terrible and he’ll hate himself. Mainly because the Lady and Gaster fought a bit. But you’ll find out why later? I guess.

Anyways, after Lady’s death, Gaster/Lady forces himself/Gaster to forget their time together along with the kiddos. Sans and Papyrus have no memory of a mother. Unfortunately, this means that Gaster has to tell them how skeletons are made, but he’s been avoiding that subject ever since they were born.

Gaster deals with the death of his wife as well as the grief some of the scientists are going through at the lab, because there’s a human passing through the Underground at the moment and it’s killing evERYONE. (Well okay, not everyone thankfully,,) He creates technology and stuff-- and also hires interns, because they need more people. Because their people are dying.

Soon after the human is captured by patrol and brought to face the King, Asgore, who is now divorced and fresh with grief also, Gaster creates a time machine-- or blueprints for it. He wants to go back and do stuff and save his wife, but not only that, but also find a way to make things in the future better. By now, people have been gossiping about how Gaster has been staying more and more in the Lab.

Sans and Papyrus see less and less of Gaster-- but he’s always home by dark, so they spend time staying up at night to see him. This leads to Sans’ early lack of sleep and want for naptime. This also leads to Papyrus’ _bOUNDLESS ENERGY_. (Or just general,, thing-- where he constantly has more energy than everyone because he stays up late--)

Gaster makes sure to give plenty of affection and attention to his little babybones because toddlers are Important, and he hates to neglect people he loves and cares for. He’ll mope about it to his co-workers if he doesn’t get hugs and skele-kisses from his children.

Like, he’ll actually look upset. This terrifies the co-workers.

\--

One day, the time machine is made. Exactly a year after the capture of the human soul.

A prototype, but strong enough for a trip to and fro-- but only one trip. He uses it, after weeks of preparation, gathering materials, and plenty of time with his sons.

He’ll miss them after he goes.

Sans and Papyrus notice how he says ‘I love you’ more often, comes home earlier, and gives them more hugs, and seems so serious and tense sometimes. He’s scared and paranoid at night, worried someone has come to take away the machine. Or maybe report him to the King, because people have always been afraid of the scientist stereotype. He’s tall and broad-shouldered, a ghastly figure and missing a wife, no wonder they dislike him.

The children become involved in the trip-- they go after him, Sans worried about things he shouldn’t be worried about. Things like Gaster committing suicide. Papyrus is notified of these ideas, and despite being a smol bean, he is very worried for his dad.

 

(redacted)

 

His kids are lost to the portal and never come back. Gaster had worked to try and reverse the effects of the portal, but too afraid he’ll never see them again or maybe lose himself as well, messing with time and space, he never finishes the new blueprint, despite it being a fully functional portal. This could be connected to how Sans manages to speed through time in the canon universe and freeze time, like how he did in the bar with Grillby.

But since this is an AU and not an actual theory of why stuff happens, I’m not going to say much on that.

Gaster lives on without his sons, their disappearances going undisturbed. The population doesn’t say anything, too wrapped up in the panic of getting back up in the surface and too angry at the world for trapping them there. Some have various recollections of the skeleton family, but the children are very faint. The time machine, being a time related magic incident, managed to erase them from the timeline they had originated from, but since Gaster made it, he could not forget his kids.

Eventually, the barrier is destroyed. Frisk comes to the Underground and peace is restored. Although Gaster never ages, because his kids aren’t technically alive in this world, he still gains knowledge and repents for his mistakes, regretting every single day he lives without seeing his family. Plus, he also gets to funk around with more timey-wimey stuff, being foolish and heartbroken and desperate, and researches timelines and space-time theory for more information on his machines. And also occasionally drunk, which is how he meets Grillby (again,) World War II (plus monsters) be damned.

They travel up to the surface and Gaster builds himself a new lab, staying there and combining an old abandoned cottage with it. It looks a bit-- well, a lot like a witch hut. Nothing sophisticated, but Gaster is an organized mess in the form of a monster. He has birds landing on his window sills for snacks and he lets them eat his plants because he wants to the know the effects magic has on birds.

Even though they frighten him sometimes.

Rumors grow that there’s a witch in the human woods-- Ebott Forest. Untrue, witches are not scientists, they work in alchemy. There is a difference.

Gaster then receives a letter to an odd high school, to teach, and he is interested.

 

~END~

 

Okay, let’s make this six pages.

_(in other words, ‘But wait! There’s more!’)_

* * *

 

**Philosophy, Psychology and Personality**

**A Look into the Depths of the Void**

**(AKA, Doctor W.D. Gaster)**

_Constructed by: Papyrus, also known as Professor(?)_

 

Where to begin? Maybe just how badly the death of his wife scarred Gaster? Maybe how much he loved her, so much that they had done that thing where it’s like-- you can make hand movements and they’ll understand even the vaguest thing you say?

Maybe that’s why he always speaks in hand signs. Because his wife and himself spoke to each other like that. Maybe that’s why his family knows it. Because it was theirs. Their language. Sans writes a few words in Wing Dings on the blueprint you will find in their shed, after he gives you a key. Through numerous time shenanigans.

 

(*jazz hands*)

 

Let’s put down a few more things that would have ruined Gaster. Say, how he had to work day and night under the pressure and fear that maybe his kids would be next, during the humans falling down and stuff.

Let’s also take into review the Amalgamates. Alphys and Gaster are now both alive and in the same timeline, because his sons were sacrificed in order for balance. Alphys does not know Sans or Papyrus, so she gets help from other scientists and Gaster.

What effect do the disappearances have on the timeline? How different are they now that the two are gone? No doubt, they are very different from the Undertale we know.

Sans was most likely a good friend to Alphys, and Papyrus seems to know and have interacted with Alphys times before, in the canon game. It is very probable that the two have listened to Alphys’ problems and helped her with them, going off of how enthusiastic the Papyrus was when Undyne got him to help Alphys with… daaaaaaating???

 

Whatever.

 

Anyways, ( _frick it’s like,, nearing seVEN?? I’M NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE MIDDLE_ ,) Gaster and Alphys work together, and with Gaster still fresh with daddy-issues and fatherly problems from the disappearance of both his wife and sONS, Alphys is bound to notice. Stages of Grief and all that, only thing is that the book must’ve fallen down to the Dump. Why would anyone throw a book away? Huh.

Alphys grows to become a co-worker, equal in terms of mental prowess, and also friend-- but not to mention, daughter-figure. Gaster is the Team Mom-- or Dad, because he is so desperate for people to fuss over that he fusses over his entire research team and everyone in the labs. Including Asgore, on occasion.

 

Go Team Dad.

 

Over time, Gaster, Grillby, and Asgore grow to befriend one another. Asgore is not regularly seen outside of the Capital or his caaastle??, but he will invite Gaster over for tea, occasionally inviting Grillby over as well. Grillby has to be careful of the plant life, but he’s always happy to visit. Thankfully, with these friendships and bonds, Gaster is able to cope a bit with his losses. Alphys also helping.

He still conducts research on the timelines, Alphys helping him, along with the rest of his team, because the Gaster Incident never happened, so the Gaster Followers are still alive. They support him, and so he supports them back with better health and bright yellow happy face stickers. He still needs coffee every day, and consumes an unhealthy amount of caffeine in order to stay alive-- awake, which reminded me of how Sans and Papyrus would stay awake for their father--

Thinking back on the relationship Gaster and his wife had, it must have been a good one. Gaster retains fond memories of her, as seen in the following paragraph.

 

(Ebott Square, 5/7/17) (Written by ‘The Person Who Also Wrote ALL **Currently** Seven Pages of This Monstrosity’)

_Though a pang of empathy caused for him sympathize with this human, Gaster could not let his emotions control him. Their sudden smile was... unexpected, but humans could be unpredictable by nature. He felt somewhat as though the human was judging his appearance, but many humans were also judgemental. Considering that he was, indeed, a skeleton-- and humans typically did not look at their insides, their reaction was somewhat warranted. Hearing that the human was confused made him nervous in the thought that they might not understand the letter or maybe didn't have information._

 

_"Er... I could help you with your letter if you require the assistance? I am curious as to if they have different formats-- because they seem to be handwritten. I was hoping you could help me fill in a few blank spots in information as well, but we could help each other if that would be alright." This human being reminded him faintly of someone whom he had seen with_ ** _fond regard-_** _\- but he could not remember who they were, save for many, many golden flowers and a love for botany. They were a monster, so there was no way--_ _  
__  
__Gaster held out his hand for a handshake, smiling as non-threateningly as he could-- which, by human standards, was... well, kind of intimidating. "I am Doctor W. D. Gaster. I do believe I've been summoned with the notion of being their Science teacher-- one of them, anyways. It is a pleasure to meet you. Might I ask for your name?"_  
  
---  
  
 

He had been good friends-- then partners, with her. But we do not know much of her appearance or personality, so it is presumed she is like Frisk. Well, ‘Underfell Frisk’, hurt and abused-- but also demure and **not** kind. In a polite way. He says that she is a monster, but because he has forgotten much of her, he may be wrong. Grillby and Gaster had been born of the same decade, and I headcanon Grillby to have lived during the Human War-- as a child, though it lasted for a Damn Long Time.

(Brief interval to talk about Grillby ahahah--)

Grillby was born to his single mother into a prostitution home-- of both monsters and humans. He learned to cook from the Lady’s mother, actually-- or someone of the similar appearance and family. His mother never told him she was a prostitute, so he only just said it was a very big apartment building and that he was never allowed to see their secret work. They also winked a lot at him and taught him how to be polite. I think I have some old files on his backstory too-- somewhere???

<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iqfQXigiBrIZVlHmNISIOliT4bRKcqPu_TEuoat7LKY/edit?usp=sharing>

_“Grillby is, at heart, a warrior. He fought in the war between Mankind and Monsterkind and went through many things, such as torture and interrogation. There are scars underneath his bartender uniform to prove this. His battle-honed instincts still have not dulled at the very least to this day and mixing drinks hasn't made him entirely lax, either. He will always remember what happened in the past._ _  
_ _  
_ **_When Grillby was a child, a flickering spark compared to his mother, they lived in a place where many other monster women lived, those who worked night and day to make gold to live._ ** _There were seamstresses who would coo at him and make designs and use scrap material to make clothes for him, waitresses who gave him tips on analyzing customers to find out what class they were in and how to hold things without dropping them or looking like a klutz, and_ **_even a flower monster (who looked vaguely humanoid) that taught him how to make tons of recipes with minimal ingredients easily found everywhere, in order to help his mother and him survive._ ** **_  
_ ** _  
_ _They were all so happy. Even with the civil wars and the fights on the streets going on, they were happy. “_

* * *

As you can see here, Grillby still thinks that those women he grew up watching and listening to are still just people who happen to be very tired at night. He has virtually no libido--

He’s in a very severe case of denial.

Another excerpt from this is one based around how Grillby also retains the power to make himself forget things. He has PTSD, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, due to the numerous events that occurred during the War.

* * *

 

“ _Grillby stills momentarily as he listens to Sans' query, the flames on his head lowering an inch and slowing before going back to their normal speed. His confusion skyrockets and a sense of panic fills him. He calms as Rae speaks, but is still confused. Then, Rae replies to Sans' question. Grillby inhales deeply._ _  
__  
__He leaves abruptly, the glass melting over his fingers and through them, dripping in fat pellets onto the ground. They sizzle quietly and glow red. His cloth is a chunk of blackened char when he enters his kitchen again. He places his glowing, burning hands on the island, leaning heavily onto it. He grips it and braces himself for a torrent of emotions._ _  
__  
__Grillby is panicking. He doesn't know what to do and his thoughts feel like they're just swirling around in his mind and spilling over the edges of a bowl, unleashing this big load of_ ** _PAIN AND HURT AND KEENING_** _._ _  
__  
__His breathing is uneven and everything hurts. His chest hurts. It hurts a lot._ _  
__  
__There are loud, loud, loud sirens ringing in his head. He can't hear anything._ _  
__He knows now, that Rae is alive. Rae is alive. She's alive. Rae is alive._ _  
__  
_ _Grillby collapses onto the tiles and on his knees, grips his chest, feeling the beat of his monster SOUL through the fireproof vest he wears every day now, has to wear now, because of moments like this and remembers flashes of things he forgot happened. He breathes. He takes in deep breathes and--_ _  
__  
__He breathes._ _  
__  
__(News of the successful capture of another human, this one with a SOUL of JUSTICE, yellow like the sun Grillby forgets more and more of every day, spreads through the Underground and reaches Snowdin. It's not long before newspapers are printed about the human's death.)_ _  
__  
__(It's not long before he hears the cheers of monsters, monsters who have gained HOPE from her death, and feels so, so conflicted.)_ _  
__  
__(He closes shop for a while, and makes himself forget all of it.)”_

* * *

 

That was sad! Moving on!

The whole war affected him so badly that he also gets memories of it. Gaster drinks with him after the bar is closed, sometimes even drinking with Asgore for Friendly Dad Bonding time, but I have no idea if the green flame child is actually Grillby’s or not-- or if they’re not even related and I’m just sticking all of the Froggits with the Froggits and the Flame People with the Flame People????

Here comes another excerpt, but with more context. Yaaaay.

* * *

 

“ _He vaguely registers the hand on his shoulder, voices of those uttering his name muffled._ _  
__  
__The pounding of drums(they call him,) steady staccato beating the stop-go of his SOUL and he remembers remembers remembers remembers rem--_ _  
__  
__(“Humans kill. Destroy. But remember, Sebastian, just like how not all the ingredients must have dirt on them just because one has some, you must share your kindness, because sometimes kindness is enough to clean off the dirt. You can be rude, but you can just as well choose not to be, because water isn't all that great anyways. Remember, Sebastian--”)_ _  
__  
__(Everything is a messy blur, the tiles of his kitchen all seem to be melting and turning and twisting and--)_ _  
__  
__(The sound of fireballs whizzing through the air is white noise to him, just like how the sound of his sword cutting through dusty, armored flesh seems like a familiar melody that he’s heard before. That odd substance, blood, spills from the injuries his human foe and coats his armor in another layer of stinking muck.)_ _  
__  
__(He can see the pained look on the human’s face before he cuts off his head and out slips a small, oval-shaped locket engraved with some words curving around a worn out flower from the village up ahead. ‘BE KIND, SOMETIMES KINDNESS IS ENOUGH')_ _  
__  
__(--run, baby--they--won't---)_ _  
__  
__(He’s sitting down on his cot and opening the locket with gentle fingers, his digits trembling slightly as they pry the two slips of silver apart to reveal a faded, still tear stained photograph of two smiling humans, one in a white dress and veil and the other the soldier, who is wearing a tuxedo. A wedding ring, golden and engraved with the same words as the ones on the outside of the locket, falls out and lands in the dirt with a soft ‘ponf’ and he looks closer at the dress wearing human and--)_ _  
__  
__(--------)_ _  
__  
__(Sebasti-- Grillby is silent as he realizes that he has just murdered the husband that his mentor has been waiting for to come home all this time, the man she has shed tears over and gripped his small frame about and has built her glass walls for and he realizes--)_ _  
__  
__(He’s done a terrible thing, hasn’t he?)_ _  
__  
__(The rest of the events that follow blur together and he’s burying the locket at the grave he constructed for all the tenants of the apartment he and his mother once lived in, once he is allowed downtime and stands there for far too long--)_ _  
__  
__(Even his own voice is muffled.)_ _  
__  
__(A buzz, and he is standing before a mage wielding a wicked looking staff and a grin of the same caliber when they realize he is a fire elemental and they have water based magic and he remembers his mentor’s words--)_ _  
__  
__(Where has kindness ever gotten him, anyways?)_ _  
__  
__He registers the hand on his shoulder, voices of those uttering his name muffled._ _  
__  
__Sebastian-- Grillby whips around to look at the human, hand reaching for a sword that is not there and he is leaking white, hot, literal magma down his face and after registering the absence of his sword, absconds and puts space between the mage and himself, hand falling away from his chest to form a fist as he takes a stance, summons his magic to FIGHT--_ _  
__  
__He will not allow his kindness to get in the way, this time._ _  
__  
__He--_ _  
__  
__(“Remember, Sebastian--”)_ _  
__  
__(“GENERAL ARSONA--” “IT HURTS--” “Your fault--” “Where is my son--!” “Run, I love yo--”)_ _  
__  
__“Who are you?” His voice is low, the undertone of emotions long repressed echoing.”_

Oh yeah, and since I’m gonna go beyond twelve ducking pages, I might as well stick this one excerpt in. It’s of, uh, what would have happened if Gaster tried to visit Grillby after the time machine crashed, and it was in the main timeline where everything is canon thing. And Gaster actually died in a supposed CORE accident.

 _“Grillby ceases all movement as he listens to the sound of a door opening and closing. He always makes sure to lock the door before closing up. An old piece of him, hardened from the war, stirs in alarm and he calms it before turning to face the source of the noise._ _  
__  
__It is someone he does not recognize. Yet at the same time, he feels strongly knows who they are._ _  
__  
__"...Do you require assistance?"_ _  
__  
__His crackling voice is loud among the now eerie silence of the bar, no longer comforting. He can feel his magic coiling in his stomach waiting like a predator with its eyes set on prey._ _  
__  
__The new figure is all but a stark white face, a wide open, seemingly empty eye-socket looking both through and at him. The other eye is almost closed, forming an almost crescent shape. A wide smile stretches from one side of it's pale face to the other and though there are no teeth, Grillby still feels distinctly unsettled looking at it. Last of all, oddly fracture like scars beginning from the upper eyelid of the nearly closed left eye and ending somewhere beyond what Grillby can see and another fracture like scar beginning beneath the wide eye socket and trailing to where it ends beneath the face's chin(?)._ _  
__  
__There is nobody to hold it up, but he has a sneaking suspicion there is one there and if he squints his eyes nearly closed, he can make out the vague outlines of what looks to be a coat-- or something similar. Looking into the darkness makes him flicker nervously. The longer he stares, the more he feels like a part of him is being pulled into... somewhere._ _  
__  
__All the while Grillby has been inspecting the face, it has been floating in the darkness of the empty restaurant, staring right back at him. Its gaze unwavering. It did not blink or shuffle. All it did was stare at him._ _  
_ _  
__Grillby does not know how to react to this.”_


End file.
